Applications are now being accepted for the 24th Naha Marathon, scheduled to be held on Dec. 7. The course extends a full 42.195 kilometers, running through Naha and four other municipalities in southern okinawa. With 260,000 finishers since it was launched in 1985, the Naha Marathon is considered one of the best in Japan. Last year saw the largest-ever number of applicants for the race, with 26,286 signing up to compete.

Applications can be submitted at the Naha Marathon office in The okinawa Times building in Naha’s Omoromachi district until Aug. 9 and also at all Ryukyu Bank branches and Japanese post offices until Sept. 26. Online registration is also available. For more information, visit the official Naha Marathon Web site at http://www.naha-marathon.jp/en/index.html.